RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE INFORMAL ORGANIZATION AND THE CURRICULUM IN SIX JUNIOR COLLEGES.

BLOCKER, CLYDE E.; MCCABE, ROBERT H.

THROUGH A QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTERED TO ALL FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL AND SECRETARIAL STAFF MEMBERS IN SIX SOUTHWESTERN JUNIOR COLLEGES, THE AUTHORS DEVELOPED A DESIGN FOR ANALYZING INFLUENCE STRUCTURES AND APPLIED IT TO ANALYSIS OF INFLUENCE STRUCTURES IN CURRICULUM MATTERS AT THESE COLLEGES. FOUR DIMENSIONS ARE IDENTIFIED AS AUTHORITY, COMMUNICATIONS, RELIANCE, AND ATTRIBUTED INFLUENCE. ACADEMIC DEANS WERE FOUND TO BE THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MEMBERS, DEPARTMENT CHAIRMEN WERE IN VARIOUS POSITIONS IN DIFFERENT COLLEGES, AND THE PRESIDENT TENDED TO BE HIGH IN ATTRIBUTED INFLUENCE WHILE NOT AS HIGH IN THE OTHER DIMENSIONS. IT WAS NOTED THAT SOME ADMINISTRATORS WHOSE ASSIGNED DUTIES DID NOT INVOLVE CURRICULUM WERE VERY HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL. IT APPEARS THAT A STRONG INDIVIDUAL IN A CLERICAL POSITION COULD, THOUGH PROBABLY WOULD NOT, BECOME INFLUENTIAL. YEARS OF SERVICE ARE A FACTOR IN INFLUENCE, ESPECIALLY IN ATTRIBUTED INFLUENCE, THOUGH SOME LONG-TERM MEMBERS ARE OUT OF THE STRUCTURE COMPLETELY. ANY STAFF MEMBER WHO IS IN CONTACT WITH INFLUENTIALS IS HIMSELF POTENTIALLY INFLUENTIAL. COLLEGES WITH PLANNED GROUP WORK APPEAR TO DEVELOP STRONG NETWORKS IN RELIANCE AND COMMUNICATIONS, AND A WELL-DEVELOPED INFLUENCE STRUCTURE. (WO)